Buying advice - good deal on this '85 full camper?

[Love My Westy]

[Eric_Taylor]

Run. Good god Run. That will take up all your time, money, effort, everything. Run. My van runs well and I still use up a ton of each.

I've been married a year and purchased the van about 8 months before getting married. We took the honeymoon in it! They are fun with a significant other, but don't get one that you can't use until you dump $20,000 a 3 years into it. Spend $15k and get one that's ready to roll.

[jimf909]

[Abscate]

[Muftobration]

Thank you all for your excellent replies! I can see there is a lot of wit and wisdom on this forum. The seller is actually a member himself, so I hope if he see's this post he doesn't take offense. It looks like this just isn't the van for me, considering I want to get something ready to camp without too much work. I'm glad you all helped me avoid making a big mistake!

E1, I loved your response here:

[E1]

You made my day with all that Mufto, awesome.

You are soooooo going down the right path here. August 21 marks 40 years since knowing that myself, you are a lucky man.

Take your time in finding the right bus and the wait will pay off every time you love life in it. If that's this bus it's your call, I get the urgency but am glad we waited and found ours -- and it's not perfect, but yet is. July 31 marks five years with a mailbox on its roof.

My very best to you and her.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Muftobration]

Thank you, E1. It certainly feels like this is the start of many adventures for us. This was the van we tested today. I'd love to get it, but it's a bit much for us right now unless I can negotiate with the sellers.

We'll keep looking. I'll see you around the forum.

[Paulbeard]

[Royb]

I can smell that van from here, and it ain’t good.
_________________
1991 Westy

[danfromsyr]

even this van will more than likely (%50-90) need a engine pull and reseal (if not rebuild) within the next 5yrs/50k miles. to the tune of $3-6k

[Abscate]

[pinetreeporsche]

Boston area- I got my '66 Splitty in '73, and had to start w/rust repair. With structural attention, it lasted another 6 years, but was always iffy. But there's a bright side to Boston- it's still the center of the LiMBO van club- of which I was a co-founder in the '80s. Poke at their website and find one of the active members who would be willing to go over the van (or some other possible purchase) with you. And if you really are interested in that or another van, do get one of the Boston area specialists to go over it.

Regarding the bus in your picture: The luggage rack comes off; a good scrubbing will have it almost like new. The rust issues look manageable from here (says I who lost that '66 to rust). If it's not structural, rather than a full restoration/paint job get a small shop to take care of just the real rough spots. The upper side of the f bumper looks like a wire brush and sander job, some por-15 and an approx. matching white spray-can can get you by for years. Maybe the same plus a little bondo at the r light. The vertical seam-- get the little shop guy to dig it, rust-proof it, and touch it up w/bondo-- and then again, spray.

The window rubber w/those broken bits of spreader inserts looks not-pretty, but some time with a fat black magic marker or even some good liquid bl shoe polish can make that area look snappier. OF course, IF the structure of the underside is getting eaten away, don't bother. But I think the above local rust treatments might come in under $1500, plus some of your time. AND be sure to bid the seller down with every fault you and your LiMBO advisor find.

The 'frig is another matter, but if I'm going out for more than 48 hours I stop at a good supermarket that carries dry ice and get the smallest block they sell (double-wrapped in plastic bags). Pre-chill the 'frig w/the dry ice, already plugged in and running on electricity at home, and you'll get by fine on those 3-day weekend jaunts as the dry ice evaporates. If you plan long runs w/o plugin opportunities, get it fixed or swap for a truck 'frig. But, as above, the eye of an experienced owner is most helpful. And good luck; if your lady likes light camping, your eventual family will pile on lots of memories, whether in this or some other Westy.

[michaelbteam]

Run away quickly! What's your time worth and how much sleep do you want to lose as you encounter one nightmare after another? Could separate bedrooms be in your immediate future?!

[E1]

Oh that's a bit rash, again, unless one marries poorly. (Deja vu comment)
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[bobbyblack]

Redacted. Sorry, nothing new to say
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[ajdenette]

for what sounds like your price range I think there is one down in New York that looks like a decent buy:

https://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/cto/d/vw-vanagon-westfalia-great/6587831720.html

not i have only looked at the craigs list add and have no affiliation with the seller.
_________________
1985 2wd Westy with 2000 Subaru 2.2 current driver
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=685635
1986 Syncro Doka Project next in line
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=732777
1990 Vanagon Syncro Base awaiting body work

[dobryan]

Go west young man. My last two Vanagons were bought in the Denver area and were basically rust free and reasonably priced. I drove them back to Maryland. Most eastern busses are too rotten for me.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[elizer]

[vanagonjon]

If you have to ask others folks advice on this, because you can't plainly see how bad this is, the answer is NO. Really, let it go, unless you have some hidden masochistic needs. Walk away, learn from this, look at as many as you can. Good deals are out there, this is not a good deal, really.

[E1]

This forum only exists to help others, hence the OP asked what we think.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman